Like many Bengalis idolising Rabindranath Tagore, my mom was also an ardent admirer. She listened to his songs in repeats, recited his poetries, and stitched his verses to any real-life situations. Even if we did not have many family photos, frames of Mr. Tagore took a corner in our little Kolkata house. So, when I was able to visit #Shantiniketan (his home) through a school excursion, my mom had zero hesitation in leaving a 12-year-old at the mercy of some unknown teachers (Though they were all very caring and loving). As a child, of course, the profound depth of his work was beyond me, so my primary interest lay in exploring a new place.
The visit revealed the splendour of his magnificent house, the enchanting multi-coloured glass prayer hall nestled amidst the eucalyptus trees, and the manicured lawns coexisting with the unkempt natural essence of the place. Yet, the vast peepal trees inside the campus, with a sitting arch, left an incredible impression on me. My eyes brightened when the guide told me those were the university’s classrooms! The professors sat on the porch near the root while the students sat on the red rocky ground beneath the cool shade. Coming from a city with concrete walls was beyond my imagination, leaving me stunned, an impression I remembered.
Decades later and a few days back, at our cosy little Waste Warriors Society in Dharamshala, I witnessed and experienced the same joy and wonder when I saw my team engrossed in taking #EnglishClasses. There were conversations with trials and errors, mistakes as stepping stones, yet so much laughter and delight echoed amidst the bright winter sun below a blooming litchi tree. It brought back memories of that visit as a kid, striking a cord somewhere very deep.
In a world where #education has become confined to classrooms, discussions restricted behind closed doors, we have forgotten the happiness of being in harmony with the surroundings, our beautiful natural world – while playing with a bug, smelling the aroma of the moist mud, or simply savoring the garden-fresh air.
With the hope that we can again rekindle the #joyoflearning, not in isolation but together with #nature, sharing was one of those 10,000 moments that brings a smile to my face during my daily work routine and draws me back to the #office, that is nestled in the #mountains and also its #people every day.
Written by : Etosha Chatterjee, Associate Director, Project Management
